300 children from Gaza to be brought to the UK for free specialist NHS care

[Fragmentedbrain]

According to the Sunday Times. That's nearly as many beds as there are in Great Ormond Street, where the average waiting time for paediatric surgery is 15 weeks (which is fairly typical nationwide).

Why is it mysteriously possible for government to deliver these showy, headline-grabbing measures (I know we already knew it could happen from COVID policy) but not to just make systems work well in an ordinary way?

Ok well then every person in an awful situation, in a third world country we should just bring here then? It is horrendous what is happening but it is impossible to help everyone. We can treat them medically and save their life without housing them and their family for eternity

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I think that cases like your child's aren't comparable, in this situation. This is a large number of children in a short amount of time from a place that is actively in a state of war so they their return is uncertain at best.

Yes I knew you'd be happy, just wanted to inform you as you said it was for them. Funny, I thought you knew everything 😅

That's what some said about Kindertransport. I will always be grateful our government ignored those voices and brought those children here.❤️

Quite. We should help the Palestinian children and any hostages if needed. I suspect Israeli hostages would be able to receive great medical care in Israel when I hope they are released, but they are as deserving of help as anyone else.

People need to remember that our nationality, who we are etc just comes down to luck and nothing else. I could have been born in any country in the world, but I was born here. That does not make me any better than a suffering child in Palestine or more deserving of help.

Would you have the same views if this housing estate was given to refugees? if you lived in a very cheap area and new builds were allocated to them?

And no, we don't need to be in harmony for this.
For avoidance of doubt - I have no issues with children being treated here, I think they should be supported. Even if it costs 30-60mn of taxpayers money it's still drop in the ocean. I do have an issue with them staying here after treatment. Which they most certainly will do.

The Muslim Arab nations have treated many.

What does Oct 7th have to do with this situation? The children didn't cause Oct 7th. The children are not hamas. Hamas was in power before these poor kids were even born.
Or are you insinuating that these children deserve to be maimed, orphaned and killed?

Do you begrudge children getting medical treatment? Did you forget that Israel has flattened most Gazan medical facilities or that the UK has been arming Israel and supplying parts for the fighter jets used to murder?

Helping 300 children is the least Starmer can and should do.

Having said that, NHS wait times ARE appalling and to me this is proof that it was never about money... There's always plenty of money to fund war and destruction but not enough for British kids to get medical help?

It is a PR tactic for Starmer but we see through his BS. Too little too late, 18,500 children already dead. Nothing can justify that.

I think Reform are deeply unfair, biased and blinkered. Whatever anyone who votes for them voted before, the same applies. I don’t tolerate people who tolerate racist, sexist grifters.

But you tolerate people who voted for starmer???

it’s almost all funded privately.

Make sure you add in outrage at Hamas for slaughtering and kidnapping innocent Israelis, some of whom have yet to return home and are also starving and being kept away from their family and friends.

Israel wants its civilians home - Hamas are choosing to put its own people in the firing line. Why is everyone ignoring what’s blatantly obvious?! (That innocent civilians on both sides are being used as weapons in the war STARTED by Hamas, a terrorist organisation).

As an NHS doctor, we treat people according to clinical priority, not the country they come from. I don’t think 300 is an enormous number of patients, given the size of the NHS.

Random anecdote. I have recently been seeing a patient who has had uncertain immigration status for the last eight years. It has severely affected his mental health. He is sleeping on people’s floors and accepting charity off friends, claiming nothing. I wrote lots of supporting letters, thinking they would be ignored as usual. Last week he got his Right to stay here approved. It actually brought tears to my eyes as I was so happy for him. He is now looking for work and wants to rebuild his life. A wonderful result when we can help people like this.

Good to hear so many supportive voices here on this thread for the Palestinian children. I do think there has been a shift even from a few months ago. There are always some dissenting voices but I’m glad that the overall mood here is to help these kids.

Nobody is building houses just for refugees. But yes some of those houses will go to people who have had their asylum claim granted.

link please?

Should we let children die while we argue about whether their neighbours should be doing more?

She is still taking up an NHS bed and a space on a theatre list. She is also not the only child

Does it matter now you have agreed that it is good that the UK is helping these children?

Not everyone who votes for Reform fits that though. I have been very surprised at the people who have quietly said they would vote Reform, they have come across as Lib Dems and very central normal. Usually one event has tipped them over the edge.

Once the government gets a grip on processing asylum seeker claims, there will be plenty of space left.

I like others am unhappy with the current situation, large numbers of male asylum seekers arriving by boat, this is very different.

Children should be prioritised. Especially children who have been through conflict.

I said what was for whom?

I wish I did know everything. Then I might understand why some people are so filled with hate.

I am leaving it there, now. Have a lovely evening, Sweetheart.

It's about the political choice to make children in the UK wait months to have essential surgery or pain treatment. Why is nobody protesting about that?

OP if you are planning on putting your money where your mouth is, and you start a protest about the underfunding and mismanagement of the NHS. I promise I would join that.

i think history may disagree with you. Many experts already do.

Everyone knows that this situation did not start on October 7th, it’s just daft to keep going on about it. This time 11 years ago people were marching in London against bombing and murder in Gaza. Look it up if you don’t believe me.

Yes, I have come across ‘middle class liberal’ friends who have said they’re going to vote Reform The two reasons they cite is the crushing of small to medium size business growth by labour, and an increasing benefits bill. They have not mentioned immigration, but I guess everybody has their different reason for wanting to vote Reform. Let’s see what the next few years bring. It’s a long time off still

So would I. But if you do this please be humane and leave the Gazan children, who have already suffered so much, out of it.